UPCOMING SERIES
UPCOMING SERIES
BEGINNING MONDAY JULY 7
Philadelphia at Montreal (3) 7th, 8th, 9th
The hard-charging Phillies (five straight wins and 10 of the last 12) have won four of six (+$205) vs. the Expos including a double-dip in Philly on June1. Meanwhile, the Expos? non-productive offense has us backing one of the best pitching staffs in MLB (3.65 ERA, 2nd best in the NL) . PREFERRED: Phillies in all games.
Atlanta at NY Mets (3) 7th, 8th, 9th
The Mets have held their own (3-3, +$130) vs. the first place Braves and have played with more passion as their youth movement continues. But, youth only gets you so far against a team as talented and experienced as the Braves (14-3 vs. lefties, +$1185). Outside of the surprising Jae Seo (2 runs and 10 Ks in 8 innings in a 4-2 win vs. the Braves, 3.12 ERA in June), we?ll opt for the chalk. PREFERRED: Seo/Braves vs. lefthanders.
Florida at Chicago Cubs (3) 7th, 8th, 9th
The Cubs continue to be one of the more puzzling teams in either league. There?s no denying that they possess excellent pitching (3.75 team ERA), but they continue to disappoint in the role of favorite (-$965) as well as at Wrigley Field (-$1555). On the other hand the Marlins are on a mini-run with 12 wins in their last 19 games, but against who? The Devil Rays, Mets, Rangers and Brewers, that?s who. PREFERRED: None.
Cincinnati at Houston (4) 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th
The Reds have lost two of three to Houston, but eked out a tiny pfit (+$40). They continue to be one of the best investments (+$1395 as an underdog) in MLB although it?s difficult to figure just how they do it with the second worst BA (.248) and the worst ERA (5.42) in the NL. Cincy has had a ton of miracle finishes this year, but may have exhausted their 2003 quota. PREFERRED: Astros in all games.
Pittsburgh at Milwaukee (4) 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th
The Brewers hold a 2-1 edge (+$235) over the Pirates but the two winning pitchers, Glendon Rusch and Todd Ritchie, are not available. Rusch has been demoted to the minors and Ritchie is on the DL. The Pirates have three starters making a profit on the road (Kris Benson, +$190, Kip Wells, +$285 and Josh Fogg, +$230) and we?ll take any of them vs. a team with a 15-27 (-$525) home record. PREFERRED: Benson/Wells/Fogg.
Colorado at Arizona (2) 7th, 8th
Two-game series are rare these days, but that?s what?s been scheduled here and in the following two meetings in the NL. And, the way the Diamondbacks are playing, we have no intention of backing the poor-traveling Rockies. BEST BET: Arizona in both games.
Los Angeles at San Diego (2) 7th, 8th
The Padres had won four of seven (+$310) vs. the Dodgers as we went to press, but we would be surprised if that trend were to continue. We?re hoping that the LA southpaws take the mound as the Padres are a pitiful 3-11 (-$795) at home when a lefty toes the slab. PREFERRED: Lefthanders vs. the Padres
St. Louis at San Francisco (2) 7th, 8th
The Giants and Cardinals are similar in that they each have two top-notch starters and not much else and both have managed to play good ball with their top closers (Rob Nen and Jason Isringhausen) on the sidelines. Let?s hope that the top pitchers don?t hook.PREFERRED: Schmidt/Reuter/Morris/Williams.
BEGINNING TUESDAY JULY 8
NY Yankees at Cleveland (3) 8th, 9th, 10th
There was a time in the mid 1990?s when the Indians gave the Yankees all they wanted in the AL and actually knocked them out of the playoffs on one occasion. Now, the best the Indians can hope for is that their rebuilding program pays off in the near future (32-47, -$1075). Until then, it?s C.C. Sabathia off a Yankees? victory and New York, except for the dreaded Jeff Weaver (-$900, 5.50 ERA), in the rest of the series. PREFERRED: Sabathia off a Yankees? win/ Indians vs. Weaver
Chicago White Sox at Detroit (3) 8th, 9th, 10th
The Sox have won six of nine against the Tigers and are still in the red (-$60) because they?ve been huge favorites in every game and Detroit managed to beat Esteban Loaiza for one of their three ?Ws?. But, we?re hoping Loaiza gets a start here as he is 2-1 (the loss was 1-0) this season vs. Detroit with a 1.25 ERA in 21.2 innings and a BAA of .129 He?s 5-2 vs. Detroit since 2000. PREFERRED: Loaiza.
Boston at Toronto (3) 8th, 9th, 10th
Not only do the Blue Jays hold a 6-4 advantage (+$310) over the Red Sox, but they swept the last series including the finale (11-8) in which they trailed 6-0 after 2.5 innings. But, Toronto is 1-3 at Fenway averaging just 4 RPG, 2.5 RPG under its average, and the offense will have to do a lot better in this hitter?s park. However, we will jump on Roy Halladay (+$1075) who is 7-1 on the road this year and 16-2 since the beginning of last year. PREFERRED: Halladay/Red Sox in all other games.
Minnesota at Texas (3) 8th, 9th, 10th
This is a tough series to get a handle on. The Twins are struggling (lost 10 of 15) and the Rangers appear to have cashed in their chips for the 2003 campaign. PREFERRED: None.
Kansas City at Anaheim (3) 8th, 9th, 10th
You?ve got to give the Royals credit from bouncing back from a protracted slump (lost 25 of 36) and jumping right back into contention in the AL Central. While the Angels (-$1345 as chalk) continue to play mediocre baseball, we?ll go with the hot team (+$1350 as a dog) at attractive) prices. PREFERRED: Royals in all games.
Tampa Bay at Oakland (3) 8th, 9th, 10th
When the worst road team in the AL (11-28, -$940) visits the best home team (28-11, +$815), the prices are bound to be too prohibitive to entertain investing on the favorite. And, besides Victor Zambrano (+$460 in 12 starts) , there is no one worth recommending for the dogs. PREFERRED: Zambrano.
Baltimore at Seattle (3) 8th, 9th, 10th
The Orioles (35-44, -$480) have faced the likes of the Blue Jays, Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, Braves and Blue Jays (again) in the six series preceding this one and, frankly, we?d be amazed if they have anything left in Safeco against the team with the AL?s best record (M?s 52-28, +$1175). PREFERRED: Mariners in all games.
